An Angel's Bodyguard
by Beeria
Summary: Aeris suffers from domestic abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, Sephiroth. Can one of her friends save her? CxA
1. Prologue

**An Angel's Bodyguard**

* * *

She had hardly slept all night, the pain in her side and the tears that leaked from her eyes had seen to that. Now, she lay on the soft, cool, blue sheets, huddled in a foetal position beneath the matching blankets. The sound of running water from the bathroom beside the room reached her ears but it was only dully noted in her mind that was in there. It was only as she heard the water being turned off that she sat up, giving a small gasp at the protest that her body made at the movement. She slowly placed her feet into the slippers that sat by her bed and stood up, reaching for her pink dressing gown.

As her hands grabbed the material, she caught her reflection in the mirror. It sickened her. Her arms and legs were covered in bruises and she knew, the skin under the pink nightgown she wore was bruised too. Her green eyes, which had once sparkled with happiness and life, were now dull with tiredness and desperation. She heard the bathroom door click open and stepped back from the mirror, tying the rope of her dressing gown around her body as she gave a weak smile. His jade eyes locked with hers, staring her down until she looked at the floor submissively. She felt her body tense, her heartbeat rise as his stepped towards her and as his hand cupped her chin, she closed her eyes in fear.

"Look at me," he commanded dangerously.

She didn't need to be told twice and immediately opened her eyes to look into his face. His hand kept a hold of her chin as he leaned down and forcefully pressed his lips against hers, his tongue roughly pushing them apart. His hand moved from her chin onto her shoulders, pushing the dressing gown down, along with the straps of her nightdress. Once, there was a time when she fought back, pushed against his shoulders to shove him away. She didn't protest now. She knew better. She knew there was no point. He was stronger than her and she knew what happened whenever she disobeyed him. Now, she just lay back and let him do what he wished.

* * *

The raven-haired girl sighed as her fingers drummed against the counter of the restaurant. At hearing her, the blonde beside her looked up, blinking as if he had just noticed he was there.

"Well, it's about time you woke up!" she muttered, placing her hands on her hips. The blonde didn't answer as he looked back at the photo before him.

"Sorry Yuffie," he sighed softly, putting the photograph into his pocket. Her angry grey eyes softened slightly as she leaned back against the wooden surface and folded her arms.

"It's okay. I know you're missing her," she shrugged, her eyes darting to the door as the bells above jingled. She groaned as the red-haired man walked confidently up to her, placing his elbow on the counter and pressing his hand to his face.

"Hey sugar," he greeted with a small smirk.

"What do you want Reno?" she asked, her voice laced with annoyance. His green eyes twinkled mischievously as he looked at the board and gave a small pout.

"Aww, what I want is not up there," He whined, locking eyes with Yuffie.

"Get lost Reno!" the blonde boy warned suddenly, making Yuffie and the red-haired man glance at him.

"I'm only having a laugh Cloud. Calm down. Just because Tifa's done a runner doesn't mean other people can't have fun!"

The next moment, Yuffie gave a small scream as Cloud leapt over the counter and grabbed Reno by the collar of his shirt. Without thinking, she jumped over after him, grabbing his arms and pulling at them desperately.

"Cloud, leave it!" she hissed as Cloud's fist hovered in the air.

For a moment, he stayed in the same position, Yuffie tugging desperately. Then, he slowly lowered his hand away and shoved Reno away, the force sending him into a table and toppling it upside down. Yuffie took a deep breath of relief before she looked to Reno, tilting her head as warning for him to go. She waited for the sound of the bells to die down and the door to shut before she spoke.

"Maybe, you should go and see Aeris," she suggested. "You haven't seen her in ages. She'll cheer you up in no time."

Cloud didn't say anything at first and when she turned to look at him, she could see why. He had the photograph out again. One of him and Tifa as childhood friends, arms around each other and huge smiles for the camera. Yuffie sighed. Tifa was her older sister and for as long as she could remember, Cloud and Tifa had been in love and they had been dating for almost five years. Then, Tifa said she wanted to travel the world but Cloud wanted to stay in Midgar. Eventually, they agreed that Cloud would stay and Tifa would go but the fact that she would gone for so long, led them to the decision to break it off for the moment and to decide what to do after she returned. It had torn Cloud apart and evidently, it still was.

"Cloud?" the girl asked again, hoping to get a response this time. He snapped out of his dream state and glanced at her, giving a soft nod.

"Yeah, Aeris will know what to do,"

* * *

Once again, she found herself curled protectively under the blankets, her naked form shivering as she cried softly, the pillow beneath her becoming soaked with her tears. Her snivelling stopped as he heard him enter the room, his boots making heavy steps before he stopped at the end of the bed.

"Get some clothes on!" he demanded harshly. She raised herself up, her eyes looking anywhere but at him as she pushed her matted, brunette strands from her face.

"I'll be back at five," he stated, no emotion but dominance breaking through the words.

She winced as he slammed the door and his footsteps thudded down the stairs. Instantly, she stood up, ignoring the new bruises from where he had pinned her down harshly and made her way to the shower. If she couldn't escape him, at least she could escape the feeling of being dirty that always clung to her whenever he touched her.

* * *

A.N: This story has been on the cards for a while now but I decided to finally post it for 2 reasons

1. It's been way too long and people have asked me on msn about it

2. About 20 CloTis were updated in the last 2-3 days. That is NOT an exaggeration. I was not a happy person! But then I read a new Clerith that was posted and I was happy again :D

Disclaimer: Just now, I don't own anything except the plot but I've put Cloud, Sephi and Zack down for my Christmas list to Santa but if what my friend told me is true, and Santa's not real then I'll be a very sad little girl.

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	2. Chapter 1

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Sorry it took so long to update any of my stories guys. Like I said on my profile and that one shot I did, I've been really busy and not had time to write. However two stories have been updated today and the rest will follow shortly I promise!

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**_Chapter One_**

She sighed softly as the warm water soothed her body, letting her ignore the bruises for once. She made no move yet to reach for the shower gel or hair products sitting on the small shelf beside her but instead, leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, as her skin soaked. It was strange to think that, whenever she took a shower, she was reminded of the first time she had met Sephiroth…

_

* * *

She looked down at the basket on her arm, pleased with the day's progress and deciding that she had sold enough flowers for the moment. With her happy mood, she began walking down the street to the café just ahead where she could speak to Cloud, Yuffie, and Tifa, three friends from her schooldays. She looked up with a groan as she heard thunder echoing and quickened her step, hoping that she could miss the shower. However, she could not and before she had ran more than five steps, the heavens opened, soaking her. She let out a surprised gasp at the cold water dripping on her skin and roughly pushed her soaking bangs from her face. Looking down, she could see her flowers drooping from the water weight and decided that she needed to get moving fast._

_As she turned around, she collided with a man, the force sending her to the ground and spraying the flowers from her basket. A wail escaped her lips as she looked at them all spread out in front of her, some drifting down the newly made river in the roads._

"_I'm sorry, Miss," a smooth voice said before a hand came into view. _

_Frowning, she looked up into eyes as green as her own and she had to suppress the amazed gasp that fought against her lips. The man was undeniably handsome and from his posture and voice, she would say he was full of manners too. Slowly, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet, giving a small smile of thanks. He bent down and picked up the basket, putting the flowers that were near to him inside it and handing it back to her._

"_I really am sorry," he insisted, his hand going into his pockets. _

_The woman just shook her head and opened her mouth to say there was no real problem when he pressed something cool into her hands. Looking down, her eyes widened as she saw the money in her hand, a ten-pound gil coin._

"_Oh, you don't need to do…" she began but he interrupted her._

"_I insist," he replied, looking her straight in the eye and making her blush. _

_She managed a small smile of thanks before bowing her head and moving forwards to the door of her friend's café but before she could push the door open, the man had spoken again._

"_I don't recall your name," _

_She blinked as he turned towards her, his body language signally he was waiting for an answer. The woman let her hand drop from the handle as she stared at him._

"_Aeris Gainsborough," she said, extending her hand. He grinned and brought his own forward to shake it._

"_Sephiroth Hojo," _

* * *

She sighed again as she scrubbed herself down and lathered the shampoo into her hair. Things had been so simple then and she couldn't understand what had changed. She hated what he did to her and thought he was messed up in the head but still she must be crazy too if she had lived so long with it. She couldn't leave though. There were too many factors preventing her. She wanted to so badly, God knows she had thought about it several times but as she began planning it without him noticing, he would always come home with flowers or chocolates or place a simple peck on her cheek in greeting. The truth was, she still loved him no matter how messed up he was because really, he could be sweet and gentle most of the time.

Recently, she had convinced herself that it was just his mind and once they got help for it, everything would be okay. She wanted more than anything to believe that he could change but if she ran away, she would never be able to see the man she had fallen in love with again. She knew he was there somewhere…

She reached out for her towel, quickly drying herself and wrapping a towel around her hair before throwing on her clothes. She held up a buttoned pink dress that she had gotten for her last birthday from Cloud. She had not worn it much but she didn't really understand why. It was, after all, a perfectly nice dress for everyday wearing plus many accessories would match it.

She slipped it on, doing up the buttons before she walked into the bedroom and let her hair out. She left the towel to hang from her shoulders to stop the hair soaking her back as she plugged in her hair dryer and laid out her pink ribbon and hair bobble(also from Cloud) on the bed.

She brushed her hair as she moved the dryer, wincing every time she was met with resistance until finally her locks looked silky and fresh. She flicked it over her shoulder and reached to switch the hair dryer off before she began tying the ribbon at the top and bringing it forward to tie the locks in a thick braid, held at the bottom with the bobble.

No sooner had she twisted it around when the doorbell rang, the shrill sound causing Aeris to jump slightly. She gave a small sigh as she stood up and raced to the window to see who it was. She smiled as she noticed the blonde spikes and slipped on some pink flats before she made her way down the stairs and undid the lock and bolt at the top of the door.

"Hey, Cloud," she greeted. Cloud turned to her and was about to reply when he frowned. Aeris mirrored the action in confusion and silently asked him what the matter was. He looked up, catching her eyes before he looked down again.

"What happened to your arms?" he asked.

Aeris blinked before she looked down at the bruises all down her arm. Had she not covered them? She looked back up at Cloud and gave a small smile and a shrug.

"You know what I'm like when I'm drunk," she replied while she rolled her eyes. Cloud smiled a little and nodded his head.

"I keep telling you to slow down but you never listen. Now do you see why?" he answered. Aeris laughed and moved aside to let him in.

"Yes, Dad," she teased as she led him through to the kitchen. "Tea?" she asked. Cloud shook his head.

"Nah, I've served enough coffees and teas to put me off them for a long time," he sighed as he sat down at the small, rounded kitchen table. Aeris smiled and picked up the kettle, pouring some water in before placing it back and pressing the button to boil it. She walked to the fridge to get the milk out, casting a glance at Cloud as she did so.

"How is Yuffie then? She still working at the café too?" she asked. Cloud nodded and placed his head in his hand.

"Yeah, she's still as hyper as ever. Reno still comes in and tries it on with her…a lot."

Aeris giggled as she prepared her cup and she turned to face him, leaning against the counter.

"I think he does like her really," she mused, turning back around when the kettle clicked, signalling that it was ready. She poured her tea and gave it a quick stir before she sat down opposite him, blowing gently over the hot drink.

"And how are you?" she asked, her voice dropping slightly to one tinged with sympathy. Cloud sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Well…you know…" he trailed off with a wave of his hand, his eyes looking around the small, room. Aeris gave a small smile and placed her cup down on the mat.

"Have you written to her at all?" Cloud shook his head and looked back at her. She brushed her bangs from her eyes and placed her head on her hands.

"Cloud, has it even occurred to you that this is hurting Tifa just as much as it is hurting you? Just because she has wanted this all her life it doesn't mean it was an easy choice to make. Perhaps you should write to her,"

"Yeah, you're right," he said after a moment before he added teasingly, "As usual,"

"Yep, I'm Aeris the Agony Aunt," she replied with a wink.

"You're wearing the dress and hair things I bought you," he stated, tilting his head to the side. Aeris smiled a little and gave a small shrug.

"Yeah, I know. I don't wear them often enough," she answered as she took another sip from her tea. Cloud continued to study her for a moment before he nodded and gave a small smile.

"They suit you," he said eventually. She smiled in thanks and gave a small sigh.

"Are you still selling flowers then?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she answered. "Though it hardly pays the bills,"

"I suppose Sephiroth is the money maker then?"

"The majority of it, yes," she answered softly trying to suppress the small frown that was appearing on her brow. Cloud did not seem to notice it as he tilted his head to the side.

"Hey, Aeris I hope you're not after his money," he joked. Aeris blinked at him before she glanced at the clock.

"I just remembered I had to go into town," she said suddenly, jumping to her feet. Cloud sat back in shock as he stared at her running form. He got to his feet and walked quickly after her as she struggled to put her coat on.

"Hey, Aers I was only joking," he assured her, moving to place a hand on her shoulder but she moved away and threw him a quick smile.

"Oh I know I've just got to go into town," she replied opening the door. Getting the hint, Cloud walked out and as he turned to say goodbye she was already out in the streets.

"Tell Yuffie I'll catch up with her sometime! See you soon Cloud," she called as she raced around the corner. Cloud stayed where he was for a moment before he took his phone out and dialled.

"Yuffie, the weirdest thing just happened,"

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

* * *

Yuffie raised an eyebrow as Cloud finished telling her of how Aeris had suddenly stormed out of her house and left him standing on the doorstep. She slowly raised her head from her hands as she leaned over the counter with a small sigh, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. Cloud watched her with the same agitated expression, unable to understand why she was not concerned at all.

"Cloud, did it ever occur to you that Aeris was offended by what you said?"

"Your concern for your friends is touching," the blonde sneered sarcastically. Yuffie glared slightly and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"I'm telling you Cloud, you're worrying about nothing!"

"You weren't there," he argued, standing quickly from his seat, causing it to crash to the floor and the few customers in the café glanced curiously in his direction. Yuffie put her hands on her hips and shot Cloud a warning look before leaning across the counter to hiss at him.

"We'll discuss this later! I'm not about to lose this month's paycheck over a needless fit!"

"How can you be so selfish?" Cloud replied angrily. The young girl did not reply, not even with another glare. Instead, she walked to the opposite end of the counter to serve a woman who wanted her coffee refilled. As she pressed the buttons of the till a little harder than she needed to and gave the woman her change, her mind filled with anger at Cloud's concern over their friend. She smirked as she made her way back to Cloud, who narrowed his eyes at her cheerful appearance.

"Do you remember that karaoke night?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood as her eyes lit up with silent laughter and she flicked her hair from her face.

"If Aeris can punch that hard when she's drunk, I'd hate to think what she could do when she's sober!" she said. Cloud shook his head but he could not stop the small smile that touched the corner of his lips. Yuffie noticed and the smirk spread wider, reaching her eyes as she giggled slightly.

"I just feel sorry for that guy. I'd be surprised if he could see out of his eye the next morning," she continued. Cloud scoffed.

"It served him right, forcing himself upon her like that," he muttered darkly. The girl tilted her head to the side and let out a sigh, her eyes glancing out of the window.

"She had bruises on her arms," he said suddenly, staring intently at the wooden counter. Yuffie turned back to him with a small frown and Cloud moved his gaze to his hands for a moment.

"She said it happened when she was drunk," he explained, locking eyes with the girl before him. Yuffie rolled her eyes a little and rubbed her temple.

"What's suspicious about that?" she asked with a shrug. "You know what she's like when she's got a few drinks in her,"

"But…she's always asked us to come out with her, even if she was going with someone else she still asks us."

"Maybe it was a work thing," Yuffie sighed.

"She's a self-employed flower girl Yuffie! How many colleagues do you think she has?" he hissed.

"Cloud, just trust me, Aeris is fine!" she insisted. "Now get on this side of the counter and do the dishes."

* * *

Aeris did not look up when she heard the sound of keys in the lock, instead she just stared at the tablecloth, with a large pink cup held in her hands, the coffee within had already turned cold.

"Sweetheart? Are you here?" Sephiroth asked, making his way towards the kitchen. Aeris snapped herself out of her daze and forced on a smile.

"I'm in the kitchen," she replied after a moment.

A second later, Sephiroth entered the room with a hand hidden behind his back and a smile on his face. Aeris raised an eyebrow curiously, as she got up to pour the drink down the drain. Sephiroth moved behind her, encircling her waist and kissing her cheek tenderly.

"I have a surprise for you," he whispered softly moving his lips down to her neck. Aeris turned towards him, blocking his path. He merely shrugged the gesture off and took a step back. The brunette watched him cautiously, hoping that this was not the calm before the storm. However, Sephiroth seemed happy enough and he slowly slid his hand in his pocket, producing a small, black velvet box. Aeris blinked as her breath caught in her throat.

_He couldn't be…_

But her thoughts were proved wrong when he got down on one knee and opened the box, letting her see the golden ring inside with diamonds running across it in a zigzag pattern. The flower girl locked eyes with him, as if waiting for him to start laughing and snap the ring away but he didn't.

"Aeris, will you marry me?"

She placed a hand to her chest as she opened her mouth to answer but at that moment, the doorbell rang. The two snapped their gaze towards it, an awkward silence filling the gap between them. The woman glanced between Sephiroth and the door before the bell went again. She whispered a sorry and raced towards it. Sephiroth growled softly as his girlfriend answered the door but his annoyance only grew when he heard the bubbly voice of Yuffie.

"Aeris!" she yelled, grabbing the brunette in a hug, "You know, the way Cloud's been going on I expected to find your mutilated body hanging from the ceiling!"

"Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, emerging from the kitchen.

"He was here earlier, catching up," Aeris replied quickly before turning back to Yuffie.

"What did he say?"

"Oh he was going on about you being weird when he commented on money and bruises on your arm," she answered before giving a wink. "But don't worry, he just thinks you're innocent but I know what you're like when you're drunk!" she giggled. Aeris gave a nervous laugh as she closed the door. Yuffie, however, did not seem to catch the uncomfortable atmosphere as she continued to talk.

"Anyways, I just came around to catch up, and to prove my point that nothing was wrong,"

"You're right," Aeris answered with a smile. "I'm fine, Sephiroth's fine, we're all fine."

Yuffie's gaze travelled to Sephiroth, feeling his eyes upon her. She gave a small, weak smile as a shiver went up her spine. When Aeris first started dating Sephiroth, Yuffie and Tifa had been jealous and had fancied him like mad. After all, he was a tall, handsome charming man who was always with Aeris as they walked around town. Yuffie could be a selfish brat at times but even she loved it when people were romantic.

Now though, there was something in his eyes, anger and it was directed at her with such a force that she half-thought about turning and running home. But Cloud's words were echoing in her mind, louder than ever now and for the first time, she felt herself believing him. She narrowed her eyes back at him, signalling that she was not going to be intimidated. Aeris sensed the tension and with a small sigh, she turned to Yuffie.

"Listen, Yuffie, I appreciate you coming to see me, but this really isn't a good time. I've got to get the dinner ready, Sephiroth's got work to sort out…sorry,"

Yuffie glanced at her with a hard stare. She was not going to leave now, not when her fears were starting to rise and Sephiroth had that unnatural glare in his eyes.

"Well, come to the party tonight," she said quickly. Aeris blinked and so did Sephiroth, who unfolded his arms.

"Yuffie, you're not allowed to have parties! Your landlord banned them after the last time," she sighed.

"It's not my party," Yuffie replied quickly and before she knew it, the words had tumbled from her mouth. "It's Cloud's,"

"Cloud's having a party?" Aeris asked in disbelief, a small smile creeping to her lips, showing how much she believed the young girl. Yuffie glared and shrugged.

"Yeah, why is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, apart from him being an anti social emo, no it's not hard to believe at all," Sephiroth answered in a bored tone. Before Aeris could say anything, Yuffie had already turned on him.

"I wasn't talking to you, you self-absorbed pig!" she snapped.

"Yuffie!" the flower girl cried and Yuffie snapped from her temper and gave a small sigh.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she opened the door, "If you change your mind Aeris, you know where Cloud's house is," she said. Aeris gave a small smile before she closed the door.

"How did it go?" Cloud asked, stepping out from behind the bushes. Yuffie stepped onto the pavement and glanced sadly up at the house she had just left.

"I'm beginning to think you're right," she whispered, turning to him.

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	4. Chapter 3

I want to thank everyone for waiting for this update /hugs/ lol. And thanks to a friend of mine on msn **_steffano89_ **who gave me some ideas for this fic. Thank you!

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Chapter Three

"You said _what?_" Cloud cried, staring at Yuffie as if she had sprouted another head. The raven-haired woman just folded her arms and gave him a defiant stare.

"I didn't have a choice," she replied.

"Why did you have to say I was having a party? Do I look like I'm a party guy?" he asked, holding his arms out. Yuffie grinned.

"You know, I am glad you asked that, we need to change your clothes for tonight," she said, pushing past him, leaving the blonde standing in a state of shock for a moment. The sound of his bedroom door being pushed open snapped him out of it and he charged down the corridor, tackling the young girl to the floor before she had the chance to step inside.

"I'm not having a party!"

"Yes you are!" she yelled, kicking out at him.

"Hey, looks like the party has already started!" came an appreciative male voice. Cloud looked up in dread and Yuffie craned her neck, giving a small grin. Reno was standing there with his hands on his hips, chuckling. As if just realising the position they landed in, Cloud yelped and jumped to his feet as Yuffie and Reno started laughing at his flushed cheeks. Cloud glared at Yuffie.

"You invited Reno?"

"Well how do you expect to have a party with no guests?" she asked, accepting the redhead's hand to help her to her feet.

"But it's _Reno_?"

"Hey!" Reno cried, glaring at the blonde. Yuffie folded her arms.

"Yeah I know," she sighed.

"Hey!" Reno repeated, turning to her. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"All the more reason to invite him," she continued. "After all, he may be annoying but he's a party animal."

"I brought the gang like you said Yuffs." Reno muttered, taking out a cigarette and moving to light it before Cloud grabbed it and glared at him.

"No smoking!" he commanded as four other people entered his flat.

There were three men, a tall bald man, whose eyes were hidden by sunglasses, a man with piercing blue eyes and golden blonde hair and the last male was dark-haired with brown eyes. The woman accompanying them seemed a little nervous and kept her blue eyes lowered as her hands clutched her sparkly dark blue bag, which matched her blue top.

"This is Rude, Rufus, Tseng, and Elena." Reno introduced each as they appeared. Cloud just grunted in reply.

"Barret and Cid should be here soon." Yuffie added. "And I think Barret is bringing Jessie, Biggs and Wedge."

"Oh joys," the blonde muttered sarcastically, pushing her aside to go to his room. Yuffie grinned back at him before he slammed his door in her face.

"Now _that's_ the party spirit!" she yelled at his door before adding, "Apart from the door slamming of course,"

"Are we going to get some music on or what?" Reno asked, moving towards the living room. The others just lingered in the doorway, unsure of what else to do until they heard Reno's laughter.

"What is it?" asked Elena as the small group crowded around him. The redhead held up a CD of the 100 Greatest Love songs for everyone to see. The men sniggered, Yuffie smirked, but Elena glared at them all.

"Well I think it's sweet!" she defended Cloud, who had appeared in the doorway to see what was going on.

"That's because you're a chick." Rufus muttered.

As soon as Cloud saw Reno holding his CD, he blushed a deep shade of scarlet before lunging for the redhead. Yuffie leapt out of the way, not wanting to be thrown to the floor again while the other males laughed at the fight going on. Elena just looked annoyed and disappeared into the kitchen to get a drink, wondering why she had agreed to come in the first place.

* * *

"Are you going to the party then?" Sephiroth asked as he leant against the doorframe. Aerith tensed up a little and she looked away from the television. Her eyes remained lowered from his in a submissive manner.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. The idea of seeing Yuffie and Cloud for more than five minutes appealed to her since it had been so long since she had seen any of her old high school friends. But it wasn't worth angering Sephiroth over, or that's what she told herself.

"Only, we should go now," he continued, scratching his nose absentmindedly. Aeris blinked.

"You want to go?" she asked, frowning a little. Sephiroth glared at her, making her want to curl up in a corner somewhere.

"Are you ashamed to show up with me somewhere?" he asked dangerously and the flower girl shook her head, standing up and taking a step back as he advanced. "Am I not good enough for you?" he demanded, throwing the lamp against the opposite the wall. Aeris flinched and pressed herself into the wallpaper.

"That's not what I…"

"Do I not pay the bills for you? Do I not earn the money for food to feed _your_ mouth? And you can't show me any appreciation you selfish little _**bitch**_!" This time the vase was aimed at the wall where she was standing and she barely had time to dodge, screaming as it shattered into tiny pieces.

"Sephiroth stop, please!" she cried. His stare hardened as he walked towards her, grabbing her arm.

"Get ready. You have five minutes," he hissed, pushing her in the direction of the stairs. She gave a small sigh and then made her way up the stairs but barely got up two when she heard Sephiroth speak again. "And none of those sluttish dresses!"

She did not actually have any dresses that went higher than her knees and all of them covered her cleavage but that was sluttish to Sephiroth. If it gave men a view of anything but her face, it was sluttish.

She sighed as she looked out a pair of jeans that had a sparkly belt and a simple, red wine-coloured top. She fixed her hair but didn't dare to leave it down, many people had complemented on how beautiful she looked with it down and she didn't want to risk Sephiroth's rage again.

"Are you ready?" he asked coldly.

"Yes."

She slipped on red flat shoes and grabbed her coat as she made her way back downstairs, throwing her jacket on and buttoning it up as they stepped outside. Almost instantly, Sephiroth grabbed her hand roughly, forcing her to walk in step with him.

"Where does Cloud live?" he asked. Aeris told him the directions and they walked down the path that went through the local park. Aeris couldn't help but feel a little sad as they walked past, remembering that they used to walk here when they had first started dating. Sephiroth didn't even seem to notice her slight depressed state but then, he never noticed anything when it didn't suit him.

"You know," he sighed, as they turned left towards a large white house with a black door. "You never did answer my question."

"Huh?" she said, unable to think of what he was talking about.

"When I asked you to marry me," he elaborated as they walked up the stairs towards the door. Aeris opened her mouth but no words came out. He sighed again. "Don't worry about it now, we'll discuss it later," he said as he pressed the doorbell and waited for Cloud to answer.

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	5. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four_**

Yuffie was the one who answered the door, grinning when she saw Aeris and quickly stepping out to hug her. Sephiroth gave her a rather disapproving look as he took in her outfit; a strapless black dress that travelled to her knees and matching high heels. "Aw Aeris, why didn't you wear one of your pretty dresses?" she asked, shooting Sephiroth a glare to show him she knew he was to blame before she addressed Aeris again. "Not that you don't look pretty Aeris. I would stay away from Reno; you know what he is like around girls. Can I take your coat?"

Aeris smiled and handed the garment over. "Thanks."

"Everyone's in the lounge." Yuffie explained, jerking her head down the corridor where the music was playing. Aeris made her way to the room and Yuffie turned to Sephiroth who was shrugging his coat off his shoulders and stepping inside. The girl smirked and tossed Aeris' coat at him.

"Here, make your existence useful before I get round to kicking your sorry ass!" she hissed before turning on her heel. Sephiroth sneered after her.

"I'd love to see you try," he snapped back, hanging the coat up. Within a second, Yuffie was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah?" she questioned innocently. "Good, because if you even _think_ of saying, or doing, _anything_ that is remotely dominating to Aeris tonight I won't hesitate in kicking your ass down the street and back again! Not all we girls are as forgiving as Aeris!" She jabbed him in the chest for good measure.

"Yuffie, what are you doing?" came Cloud's voice. She turned to see him leaning against the doorframe, giving her a questioning glance. She forced on an innocent smile.

"I'm just greeting our guests, telling them of the house rules and so on," she insisted, finally stepped aside to let the silver-haired man pass and glaring at his back as he entered the living room. Cloud rubbed his forehead and walked over to Yuffie, leaning against the wall opposite her.

"You weren't harassing him were you?" he asked carefully. The raven-haired girl clicked her tongue angrily.

"No, I was inviting him to a tea party because he's my very best friend," she answered sarcastically, folding her arms over her chest and glaring off to the side.

Cloud rolled his eyes but didn't bother to try to talk to her anymore. He knew she was in a bad mood just at having to look at Sephiroth. However, Cloud believed they couldn't very well go beating the man up in the middle of his house. Regardless of the facts that half the guests were drunk and Sephiroth was a lot stronger than the sober men put together were, it would only result in more pain for Aeris. Cloud knew that if Sephiroth got irritated, he took it out on the brunette so, until Aeris found a way to escape his abuse, he believed they had no choice but to remain calm and collected around him. Even if the blonde wanted nothing more than to punch that superior look off the man's face.

Yuffie sighed and unfolded her arms. "Come on, we can't leave her alone with him," she muttered, entering the living room with Cloud close behind.

Just as Yuffie had thought, Sephiroth was sitting close to Aeris and it seemed as though he was holding her hand in a deathly grip. Yuffie, who was standing close to them, saw him lean over to Aeris and whisper threateningly. "You stay with me."

She turned away before he caught on that she had heard him and raised an eyebrow at Cloud, silently asking if he was going to tolerate this. He caught her meaning and slowly made his way over to the couple.

"Hey, can I get you two drinks or something?" he asked, smiling at Aeris and trying his hardest not to glare or aim a punch at Sephiroth. Aeris opened her mouth to respond but Sephiroth beat her to it.

"No thanks," he said coolly, looking at Cloud as if he was something stuck to the sole of his shoe. Cloud shrugged and walked off. Yuffie rolled her eyes at him before making her way back to the couple and taking Aeris' spare hand, tugging gently.

"Come on Aeris, I need a dancing partner!" she cried over the music.

"But I…" the woman tried to protest but Yuffie was having none of it. She only tightened her grip and pulled the brunette into the middle of the room.

"Come on Aeris, it'll be like our old school discos, except without Tifa."

A glass slammed down on the table beside her and she turned in time to see Cloud stomping off. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"When will he get over it?" she muttered to herself before turning back to Aeris. However, the brunette wasn't moving. She was just standing there looking down. It hurt Yuffie to see her like that, especially when she remembered what she had been like before Sephiroth came along. She had been so lively and fun loving. In fact, she usually was the life and soul of the party, even without any alcohol inside her. She had always been a natural people person.

Aeris eyes glanced to the sofa and Yuffie followed it, surprised to see that Sephiroth had gone. She didn't care if he had gone home or to the bathroom just as long as he wasn't near Aeris at all.

"I think I'm going to get a drink Yuffie," the woman said suddenly, walking away. Yuffie wanted to protest but she knew if she did, she would only cause a scene, and that would only upset Aeris.

Cloud looked up from drying some glasses as someone entered the kitchen, smiling slightly when he saw it was Aeris. She returned it and collapsed into one of the chairs, staring blankly at the food that was set out. Cloud put the glasses away in the cupboard and took a seat beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"I'm fine," she replied instantly and Cloud was beginning to wonder if it had been programmed into her brain. He gave a sigh.

"I don't like seeing you this way Aeris, it's not like you. Yuffie is upset too. Why wont you tell us what's going on?" he asked, moving a little closer. "We're your friends and we want to help!"

Her eyes met his for a moment and she opened her mouth.

"Aeris, there you are!" Sephiroth cried entering the kitchen. Cloud immediately scooted away, only realising after the movement that it only made him look guiltier. He glanced at Aeris whose eyes had gone wide with fright. He caught the look just before she turned to face her boyfriend. Sephiroth wrapped an arm around her waist once she had stood up, pulling her right against him.

"Thank you for inviting us Cloud but we should be going now," he said, faking slight disappointment. Cloud only nodded, his eyes fixed on Aeris who was doing everything she could to avoid looking in his direction.

"See you later." Sephiroth added cheerfully, taking Aeris' hand and leading her outside.

"Yeah bye," he replied, walking to the threshold of the kitchen door and watching them leave. As Sephiroth turned to close the door, Aeris stole a glance over his shoulder, locking eyes with Cloud. He straightened up immediately at the look on her face.

She was begging him for help.

* * *

Once again, thanks to reviewers and steffano for some of the ideas for this story XD


	6. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

It took all of her will power not to cry out in pain at the tight grip Sephiroth had on her arm. She would not have been surprised if the blood had stopped flowing through the limb. She had tried to struggle as he led her back towards their house but all that resulted in was his grip tightening.

She could tell he was in one of his worse moods by the way he was practically dragging her through the streets and not making any noise at all. His boots thumped heavily against the ground as if he could release his anger that way. Aeris wisely remained silent except for the gasps he wrung from her when he tightened his grip around her. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or frightened as their front door came into view.

He threw her out of his grip as they stood on the step outside their house and when he inserted the keys, it was done with an air of irritation. Aeris flinched when he turned his eyes onto her.

"Get inside," he commanded harshly, grabbing her wrist again and pushing her over the threshold. By the time she had recovered herself and straightened up, Sephiroth had closed the door with a harsh slam, locked, and bolted it. Fear rose through her body and she took an instinctive step backwards as his angry gaze fell upon her once more. The silence was unnerving her and she wanted nothing more than to turn and run up the stairs to the sanctuary of the bedroom.

"What were you doing with him?" he asked eventually, his tone annoyed and dominating. Aeris blinked in confusion and didn't answer. "What were you doing with Cloud? Why were you alone with him?"

Aeris' eyes widened in horror as she finally realised what he had been implying. She shook her head quickly. "I didn't…we weren't doing anything like that. We were just talking!" she replied desperately, noticing that the anger in his eyes did not disappear even after her explanation.

"I don't want you seeing them anymore."

"But they're my friends!" Aeris cried and Sephiroth answered with a hard slap. A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt the flesh stinging under the hand that had instinctively flew up to cradle the injured area and she took a few steps back from him. Her lover made no facial expression to indicate that he was sorry. All she could see was the anger burning in his eyes. He suddenly moved, taking long strides towards her. She did not get the chance to move before he pushed her forcibly against the wall.

"You're mine!" he hissed, pressing his hands on the wall on either side of her head. She turned her head away from his with a small, almost inaudible whimper but he wasn't going to have her ignore him. Grabbing her chin forcibly, he forced her head up so that their eyes met.

"Maybe you didn't hear me?" he questioned dangerously. "I _don't _want _you_ seeing _them_! Do you understand?"

She looked down for a moment before she nodded slowly. It was just a small movement but Sephiroth saw it. He moved back and walked into the kitchen. Aeris waited until she heard the kitchen door slam shut before sliding down to a sitting position.

"Aeris?"

She looked up in surprise. When had Sephiroth left the kitchen and approached her? She quickly wiped the tears away before focussing her gaze on her lap. She heard him sigh before his hand came into her view, offering her a help up. Part of her wanted to shove the offered hand away but, in the end, she didn't have a choice because Sephiroth grabbed her hand for her and forced her to her feet. He let his thumb trace the mark on her cheek for a second before he used it to wipe her tears away. The whole time she avoided his gaze in silent and subtle defiance.

"I'm only doing it because I don't want to lose you. You do know that, don't you?" he said suddenly, letting his hand drop from her face. Despite herself, Aeris found her eyes staring into his. He sighed with exasperation and moved away from her once more.

"Come on," he muttered, taking her hand again and pulling her closer to him. She frowned gently but did not dare to struggle. She knew that his nice mood would only last so long. She just had to make the most of it.

* * *

"Hey Cloud? Are you even listening to me?" Yuffie asked, waving one hand in front of his eyes while the other rested on her hip in an annoyed manner. Cloud blinked and jerked his face away from her.

"What?" he snapped, glaring at her. Her expression softened slightly as she took in his slumped shoulders.

"It doesn't matter," she said after a moment. She gave a small sigh before sitting in the seat opposite him. "You're not still mad at me for the Tifa comment are you?" she asked.

"Huh?" Cloud replied before shaking his head. "Oh. No, I'd forgotten all about it."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. "So…what's wrong then?"

"Nothing." Cloud answered instantly, his eyes focussed upon the contents of the cup in front of him. However, the woman wasn't shaken off by his monotone answer. She wouldn't have expected anything less from the withdrawn blonde.

"Okay then," she said, standing up. "I'll be off too then."

"Is everyone gone?" Cloud questioned with a small frown. Yuffie smiled and shook her head at him.

"I'd have thought the fact that it's quiet would indicate that the party was over," she teased but her expression turned serious again when she saw Cloud shrug with disinterest. "Okay Cloud, seriously, what is wrong?"

He raised his gaze slowly. "It's just Aeris," he sighed, running a hand through his hair before letting it fall to the table. "I don't know what to do."

"That's easy! You kick Sephiroth's ass!" Yuffie replied jokingly, knowing Cloud would just ignore or lecture her suggestion. However, Cloud suddenly stood up with a determined look in his eyes. Yuffie's smile faltered as the blonde moved past her.

"Uh, Cloud? Where are you going?" she asked tentatively as she watched him put on his coat.

"Taking your advice," he replied before walking out the door.

* * *


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

Cloud raced down the street, ignoring Yuffie's cries that followed him. He did not bother checking the road for traffic before running across. He could see Aeris and Sephiroth's house from where he was, and he quickened his pace a little more, crossing the road and striding up the steps. He listened as he knocked, the sound echoing through the house. After a moment with no sound, he took a step back and observed the house. A light was on upstairs and he was sure he could see a shadowy figure.

"Aeris!" he called. "Aeris, answer the door!"

He heard the chain being undone before the door swung open to reveal Sephiroth. For a moment, they just glared at each other before the silver-haired man spoke.

"Aeris asked me to tell you that she doesn't want to see you or Yuffie anymore. She wants you to stay away from her and stop trying to ruin her relationship with me."

"I'd rather hear it from her," he retorted before craning his neck. "Aeris!"

Sephiroth took a step forward, his eyes gleaming menacingly.

"I'm warning you," he hissed.

"Cloud!"

Sephiroth and Cloud both looked around to see Yuffie sprinting towards them, an expression crossed between shock and excitement at the idea that Cloud was appearing to take on Sephiroth.

"Stay out of this Yuffie," Cloud warned, looking back to Sephiroth, who smirked.

"Yes this is between Cloud and I," he added. Yuffie glared but before she could retort, Sephiroth had spoken again. "Then again, you and your sister were good at getting into other people's business…or arms in Tifa's case." Cloud reacted so fast, pushing Sephiroth up against the wall by his shoulders.

"Don't you dare talk about Tifa that way!" he roared. Yuffie raced up, trying to pull the blonde away.

"Can't you handle the truth?" Sephiroth sneered before he laughed coldly. "Or maybe you didn't know about Rufus Shinra?"

"You're lying!" Cloud yelled as Yuffie grabbed his arms, glaring daggers at the silver-haired man.

"Maybe you should be more concerned with your own woman Cloud instead of chasing after mine," he continued. Cloud struggled out of Yuffie's grip and before she could get a hold of him again, he had pulled his fist back and punched the smirking man before him. Yuffie was tempted to laugh at the shocked look on Sephiroth's face but she decided to save it until later and grabbed Cloud once more.

"Come on Cloud, we'll see Aeris another time and sort this out," she reasoned, attempting to drag him away. Sephiroth wiped the blood away that was spurting from his nose.

"Oh no, you won't," he snarled. "Aeris is not leaving this house again!"

"You can't lock her up like she's a possession!" Yuffie cried, pushing Cloud over the threshold despite his protests. "This isn't over!" she hissed before slamming the door behind her.

Sephiroth checked himself in the mirror, grimacing slightly. He pulled a tissue from the box and wiped up the blood that had flowed down his skin. Once he was sure that it was all cleaned up, he made his way upstairs, his heavy boots thudding against the carpet. He came to a stop outside the first door and took a golden key from his pocket, twisting it in the lock and stepping inside. Aeris quickly looked away from the window as he did so.

"Now do you understand why I don't want you near them?" he addressed her harshly. She remained silent.

"You provoked them," she muttered softly, almost to the extent of being inaudible. Sephiroth glared at her.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, crossing the floor and tentatively raising a hand up to his face. He slapped it away, hissing at her stay away as he walked into their adjoining bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Aeris let out a sigh as she sat on he bed covers, placing her head in her hands. She knew, deep down that both Cloud and Yuffie were right. She shouldn't stay with him. But they didn't understand that she stayed because she wanted to him to change, she believed he would change. He'll become the charmer she fell in love with again. She just had to hold on until he got through this rough patch. Things would work out.

He entered the bedroom again, his face cleaned up of any traces of injury. She watched him silently approach the bed and sit on the edge. He made no sound or movement that even suggested he wanted her there. He just pushed off his boots before standing up and getting ready for bed.

* * *

Yuffie slammed the cup of coffee down in front of the blonde, a look of surprise, anger and slight amusement all mixed on her face. She took the seat opposite him and studied him for a moment.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she blurted out suddenly. Cloud had been waiting for her to explode ever since leaving Sephiroth's house. He stared at her coldly.

"Hypocrite," he snapped. "You were all for kicking his ass."

"I was joking!" she cried. "As much as I would love to smack him, I don't want a prison sentence just for that jerk! You attacked him in his own home!"

"I wasn't actually intending on hitting him to begin with," Cloud replied, staring blankly down at the brown liquid before him. "It was when he said those things about Teef I just snapped."

Yuffie swallowed thickly and lowered her eyes. "About that, Cloud," she said gently, causing him to look up in surprise. He studied her carefully, taking in the way she wouldn't look at him and how she was biting on her bottom lip.

"What?" he snapped impatiently.

"First things first, Teef never cheated on you. Ever!" she assured him. Despite those words, Cloud didn't seem comforted at all.

"But?" he pressed dangerously. She swallowed again.

"But she did go to Rufus' flat that night you had the argument about her leaving," she continued. "Nothing happened but she admitted it had been close to happening," she was cut off when Cloud suddenly stood up, the screeching sound of the chair against the tiled floor making her wince. "She loved you Cloud! Rufus was just taking advantage of her sadness! Nothing happened between them!" she said quickly, hoping to calm him down.

"But it almost did," he answered, repeating her words from earlier with venom.

"She didn't let things happen though Cloud. Isn't that the most important thing? Sephiroth was just messing with your head!"

He pushed his hair from his eyes, an expressionless look on his face. He pushed past her, muttering that he was going home. She had barely turned around when she heard the door slamming shut. She lowered her arms onto the table and allowed her head to rest on them. "First Aeris and Sephiroth's relationship and now Cloud and Tifa's, when did I suddenly became a counsellor?" she murmured in annoyance to herself.

* * *


	8. Chapter 7

Sorry, it's a slightly shorter chapter. I wasn't really sure how to write this one, I had the idea but I couldn't seem to write it…if that makes sense lol.

_**Chapter Seven**_

Aeris awoke to an empty bed, not exactly surprised that Sephiroth had left. Perhaps, he had not slept in the bed at all. She was not sure. She looked sorrowfully at the empty space beside her, replaying the scene from last night. She could not believe Cloud and Yuffie had come here. The thought of what Sephiroth could do scared her almost as much as the fact that it seemed neither Cloud nor Yuffie seemed to care about the danger.

She ran a hand over her face, pushing the hair from her eyes before she stepped out of bed, shivering at the sudden chill in the room. Her eyes drifted to the door and she froze. Had Sephiroth really meant what he had said the night before? Was he really going to ban her from leaving the house? The thought made her shiver from more than just the cold.

Her feet padded against the soft carpet as she crossed the floor, a hand reaching out for the doorknob. She took a deep breath as her fingers curled around the handle and twisted. To her surprise, the door creaked open. She frowned and stepped out into the corridor. She quickly moved down the steps and stood nervously in front of the door. This time the door did not open.

She frowned and took a step back unsure of what to do next. The sudden sound of the phone ringing made her jump before she realised what had happened. She walked towards it and lifted the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Yuffie. I just want to apologize for last night." Aeris rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath.

"No, you didn't do anything Yuffie," she replied.

"Listen, you haven't seen Cloud at all today have you?" Yuffie asked with a worried tone in her voice.

"No," Aeris answered, deciding not to go into detail of how she wouldn't be seeing anyone today. "Why?"

Yuffie was silent for a couple of seconds. "I kind of explained the whole Rufus and Tifa situation. He stormed out and I haven't seen him since. He was supposed to be doing the shift this morning but he didn't turn up."

Aeris looked up as a shadow fell across the door. "Listen Yuffs, I have to go, I'll speak to you later!" she said quickly before she threw the phone down. She took a step back as the click of the lock echoed through the house. Sephiroth stepped inside the house, glanced at her and then he slammed the door shut and locked it

"You're home early," she said. He walked straight past her into the kitchen without a word.

She remained where she was for a moment before she tentatively started walking towards the kitchen, hovering nervously in the doorway. She watched as he poured a glass of water, took a long gulp, and then slammed the glass on the counter. Only then did he look at her.

"I kept my threat as you probably found out," he said coldly. She nodded, tensing on instinct. He moved towards her and she immediately took a step back but was stopped when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him. "You're mine!" he hissed.

Aeris struggled and attempted to pull away but that only resulted in his grip tightening. He brought his free hand up and delivered her a harsh slap and, taking advantage of her shock tossed her into the counter.

"You're a smart girl Aeris," he said quietly, circling the table as if stalking his pray. He grabbed hold of her again before she had a chance to escape. "If you had just listened to me and stayed away from them, none of this would have happened!" He took hold of her chin and forced her to look up at him. She shifted her eyes to the side, trembling as his thumb ghosted over her lips. "Do you understand?" he asked harshly. Aeris locked eyes with his and opened her mouth. She had honestly intended to say the answer that had always been drilled into her but it never came out.

"No."

She had been surprised when the word came out and watched as Sephiroth's eyes widened and then narrowed. His grip loosened slightly from the shock and Aeris took the chance to push him away and running from the room. It did not take long before she heard Sephiroth chasing after her. She leapt up the stairs, jumping them two at a time. She just had to reach the bedroom. Then she could put something against the door.

She was only halfway up before she felt Sephiroth grab her ankle, forcing her to fall face first onto the steps below her, holding out her hands to break her fall. Her legs kicked wildly in an attempt to get him away from her.

"After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me!" he yelled, forcing her to her feet. She brought her fists up to his chest and attempted to push him away, arching her body away from his. He growled and turned the both of them, slamming her viciously into the wall.

"Seph please!" she cried she moved to push against him again at the same time he delivered another hard shove. As his hands left hers, she lost her balance. He barely had time to react as she tumbled down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom. He stood still for a moment complete shock.

"Aeris?" he whispered.

There was no reply.

* * *


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

Cloud sat on the bench in the park ignoring the ringing of his phone as it sat on the other end of the seat. He had been here all morning, not caring that he was missing work. Looking across at the lit up screen, he noticed Yuffie's name again and sighed. He reached over and pressed the red button to hang up before slipping it into his pocket. As he stood, he glanced around him not sure what to do or where to go. If he went to work, he would never be free of Yuffie's questions or Cid's moaning.

Instead, Cloud made his way down the road towards Aeris' house feeling that he should make the effort to apologize for his behaviour of the night before. He gritted his teeth together as he thought about what would happen if Sephiroth were to be there. More than likely, he wouldn't let Cloud see past the door let alone see his friend.

The blonde sighed heavily as he allowed himself to climb the steps to the door and tapped his knuckles against it three times. He waited for a moment when there was no reply and tried again. There was still no answer. He took a step back and peered up at the windows for a sign of movement. He frowned and checked the time on his phone. It read eleven o clock. His scowl deepened. Aeris was always in on a Wednesday morning.

"Aeris!" he called, knocking a little harder on the door this time. "It's Cloud. Please open the door!"

He waited but there was still no reply. He knelt down and pushed the letterbox back, trying to peer through. The light in the hallway was on and he could hear the faint sound of the television but he couldn't see anything because of the position the letterbox was in.

Cloud stood up straight again, a feeling of panic rising through his body. Something wasn't right. He knocked one last time, his desperation pouring out into the thumping sound. When there was no reply, again he took another step back and glanced around him.

"Aeris if you don't open this door I'm going to break it down!" There was still no reply and Cloud frowned. He didn't really want to break the door down. What if there was nothing wrong? She could be sleeping upstairs and unable to hear him. Still…He thought, glancing up again.

With a deep breath, he lifted his foot and slammed it into the door, wincing as the wood splintered from the contact. He repeated the action until finally the door fell to the ground with a crash.

As he stepped inside, his eyes immediately caught her form lying motionless at the foot of the stairs. His eyes went wide and for a moment, he was frozen. When he regained use of his brain he raced towards her and knelt by her side, placing his fingers on her neck to feel for a pulse. He let out a breath he wasn't aware he was even holding when he felt one. Carefully, he cradled her head in his arm and reached into his back pocket for his phone.

"It's okay Aeris," he whispered softly as he listened to the dialling tone with growing frustration.

"Emergency services," greeted the robotic voice.

"I need an ambulance!"

* * *

Aeris groaned as she slowly became aware of the soft mattress underneath her and the covers that hugged her body. Her eyes opened briefly, catching the outline of a figure sitting in a chair beside her bed before her eyes closed again. She blinked a couple of times until the image finally cleared.

"Cloud?" The blonde jumped and looked up in surprise but the shock quickly changed to one of relief.

"Hey," he greeted softly, allowing a rare smile. "The doctor says you're going to be fine."

Aeris frowned and glanced around her, a look of dawning awareness crossing her face. Cloud noticed her eyes would drift to the door of the room every couple of seconds with a fearful look in them.

"He hasn't come," he said, causing her to glance at him for a moment before she looked down at her hands. Cloud sighed. "Did he do it?" he asked, staring at her face closely for her answer.

"No!" she replied a little too quickly and with the air of offence. Cloud narrowed his eyes and she flinched in response, looking away from him as she answered again. "It was an accident!"

"One of these days he's going to kill you Aeris! Will it be an accident then?"

"But it was an accident!" she insisted. "I just slipped!"

Cloud shook his head before placing it in his hands while Aeris looked at her entwined fingers as an awkward silence filled the gap between them. As if on cue, Yuffie's voice could be heard travelling down the corridor. It took a moment before Cloud caught on to what was happening but as soon as he heard Sephiroth's name, he jumped to his feet and made his way over to the door. Aeris watched him, shrinking back slightly in fear of this side of him.

"You could have killed her asshole!" Yuffie screamed, causing many patients to stare at the scene. Cloud closed the door quietly behind him but kept a firm grip on the handle. Sephiroth turned to him.

"Let me past," he commanded, narrowing his eyes. Cloud straightened up to his full height and gave the silver-haired man a challenging glare.

"You're not going near her," he whispered dangerously. The man raised an eyebrow in response.

"You can't stop me," he replied. Yuffie stepped up so she was standing next to Cloud.

"Try it!" she retorted. Cloud looked straight into Sephiroth's eyes and said each word slowly and carefully.

"You're going to leave right now," Cloud warned as he looked straight into Sephiroth's eyes, saying each word slowly and carefully. "If you don't, I'm going to tell the police exactly what you did."

The older man took a step back and glanced between Cloud and Yuffie, taking in their equally murderous glares. With a sneer, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. The two watched him go before Yuffie muttered something Wutaian under her breath, and Cloud had a feeling it was a rather colourful word. After a moment passed, Yuffie sighed.

"What now?" she asked. The blonde turned to face her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we cant send her back there can we?" she replied. "So what are we going to do?"

Cloud was silent. He hadn't thought of the fact that standing up to Sephiroth would mean Aeris would be left without somewhere to live. Obviously, anywhere would be better than what she lived with now but he wasn't sure Aeris would like the idea of having nowhere at all to stay. If she went to stay with her mother, Elmyra Gainsborough would ask questions which Aeris wouldn't want to answer. That left one option.

"She'll have to stay with one of us," he replied. Yuffie shook her head.

"Well, I'm not allowed anymore flatmates Cloud. She'll have to stay with you."

Cloud ran a hand through his hair, slightly uncomfortable with the idea but in the end, his friendship with Aeris came out more important than his own worries.

"Fine," he muttered.

* * *


	10. Chapter 9

1) I am very sorry for being so long. Profile explains all.

2) I'm hoping this chapter will gain some, if not all of your forgiveness xD

_**Chapter Nine**_

Awkward was not enough to describe how Cloud was feeling about Aeris moving in with him. Sure, he had lived with Tifa before she left but it had taken a good few years before he plucked up the courage to ask her to move in with him. And it wasn't only that. Cloud just was not sure how he felt about living with a woman when they weren't in a relationship. He knew it was silly, but he just didn't feel right about it.

The fact that Yuffie had scoffed and muttered that he should be a man for once, when he told her his troubles, hadn't helped him gain any confidence. But somehow, Cloud had managed to get to Aeris' hospital room to pick her up and get her to the car pack so he could drive her home.

Aeris was silent the whole time and Cloud could tell she was doubting everything. When he and Yuffie had first told her, she had refused and tried to convince them that everything was fine. But as Yuffie began describing some gruesome scenes of housewives battered to death that she had seen on the television in an attempt to get through to her, Aeris began to listen. It didn't take long for her to agree after that and Cloud was thankful because, even though he knew what Yuffie had described was exceptionally rare, he didn't want to think of Aeris dying in such a cruel way. Finding her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs was already hurtful enough and the image of her motionless body still burned fresh in his mind.

As they reached Fenrir, he passed her a helmet and straddled the bike. "Make sure you hold on," he warned as she got on behind him. She grabbed the sides of the bike firmly and Cloud was relieved by her choice. He was never one for getting touchy-feely with anyone; he was not even that cuddly to Tifa when she was around.

Cloud shook his head to clear his mind and started the bike. As it jerked forward, Aeris gave out a surprised 'eep' and the force sent her colliding into his back. Cloud merely grunted in response and concentrated on the road ahead.

* * *

"Never again!" she muttered as she stepped off the bike, holding her stomach. "I really thought I was going to die!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid!"

"I'm serious!" she cried.

Cloud's lips twitched slight but he said nothing. Shaking his head, he turned and walked up to the door. Aeris followed meekly behind but was distracted by the sound of meowing. Looking down she saw a pair of yellow eyes glowing up at her as a black cat stepped out of the bushes. As Cloud opened the door, she crouched down and held her hand out, rubbing her fingers together in a coaxing manner.

"Come on," she cooed, outstretching her hand further. The cat stayed where it was and clearly had no intent to go with her wishes. Aeris huffed and stood up.

"He's not coming in here!" Cloud said gruffly, hissing at the cat. It took off immediately. Aeris watched it go and opened her mouth to say something but then thought better of it and closed it again.

Cloud acted as though nothing had happened and motioned with his hand for her to follow. Tentatively, she stepped over the threshold and followed him down the hall.

"You've been here before so you know where everything is," he said as they passed the kitchen. He came to a sudden stop at the door next to it and pushed it open. "This will be your room."

He stepped aside to let her have a look inside. The sheets looked clean and fresh and the room had an air of homeliness about it. She remembered this room; it had once been Tifa's office. Aeris surveyed the room once more and turned to Cloud.

"You didn't have to…" she began but Cloud shook his head.

"Yes I did," he replied. "That stuff has needed to be moved for ages."

"But Tifa…" she started but stopped herself. She sighed and shook her head, clearly realising that bringing up Tifa was a bad idea. She stepped into the room and sat down on the bed.

"I'll get you some clothes to sleep in," he commented before leaving. Aeris stood up again with a heavy sigh and glanced around her once more. Restlessness was clinging to her and with lack of anything else to do, she crossed the room and shut the curtains. Cloud returned then, holding a T-shirt in his hands.

"Here," he muttered handing it to her. "Yuffie said she's going to take you shopping for stuff tomorrow."

"I don't have any gil," she replied instantly.

"Yuffie's paying for it…no…scratch that…_**I'm**_ paying for it. The brat wriggled a hundred and fifty gil out of me!"

"How on earth did she manage that?" Aeris asked, suddenly feeling a lot less agitated and a little more cheerful. Cloud ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm not even sure…" he replied. "Apparently, I wrote a cheque to her once and she just banked it. One hundred and fifty gil! I must have been drunk."

Aeris smiled in response. The action surprised her for as she did so, she felt a slight pain in her cheeks, as if they weren't used to being stretched anymore. She shook her head and sighed again. When she looked up, she noticed Cloud was staring at her curiously. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around her torso in a protective manner, remembering Sephiroth had always stared at her before he would move in for the attack. But after a few seconds, Cloud still hadn't moved.

"What?" she asked, looking back at him. Cloud blinked and shrugged one shoulder.

"I haven't seen you smile in ages. I mean, truly smile," he replied. Aeris felt a blush of embarrassment hit her. Had it really been so long since she had smiled or laughed? Had everyone forgotten the image of a cheerful flower girl?

"Well I'm going to bed," Cloud said, stretching as if to prove his point. Aeris merely nodded in reply. She got up and closed the door after Cloud before she got changed and collapsed on the bed. Though the sheets were fresh and the mattress was soft, Aeris couldn't get comfortable. It wasn't familiar enough to her and no matter what she tried she just couldn't sleep properly. Somehow, despite Yuffie and Cloud's promises to protect her, she knew that Sephiroth wouldn't rest until he had gotten her back and punished her for her trangression.

* * *

Cloud awoke the next morning, cursing and running wildly around the house in an attempt to be organised. "I'm late," he muttered to himself.

"…meow…"

Cloud froze where he was, halfway down the hall, and turned around to see the same black cat from last night running up to him. He blinked.

"How the hell did you get in here? Shoo!" he hissed opening the door and hissing the cat away. Sighing he watched the cat sleek off down the street before walking back inside. He froze for the second time that morning. Aeris as standing in the hallway, with her back to him, wearing the T-shirt that he had given her last night. Cloud would not have cared if it wasn't for the fact that as she stretched up the shirt, which already rested halfway down her shapely thighs, was pushed up even further. Cloud blinked as his face flushed a deep red in embarrassment. He grabbed his boots by the door and stepped back outside. He yelled a goodbye and closed the door quickly behind him, missing Aeris' jump and soft scream of surprise.

Cloud leaned against the door with his eyes tightly shut and resting one hand on his forehead. Bu he soon had to open his eyes again because when they were closed, all he could picture was _that_ image. He shook his head.

"What's the matter with you?" he mumbled as he lifted himself away from the door and sat down on the top step to put on his boots. Once done he stood with another sigh and slowly made his way to work.

"_Who knew Aeris had such sexy legs?"_ he wondered before he quickly frowned. "Stop it!" he muttered. It wasn't right to think of a girl that way, especially not Aeris. It was just as bad as thinking of Yuffie that way. _But Yuffie doesn't have nearly as sexy legs…"_ his mind mused.

"For the love of Gaia!" he mumbled, shaking his head in an attempt to shake his thoughts. He just hoped that work would distract him a while.

* * *

A.N: Okay, any forgiveness I may have received is going to disappear when I say this but…it's still going to be a long time before anything happens between them. Aeris has a lot of stuff to get over and so does Cloud. But never fear, they shall most definitely be together…as if you would expect different from me eh? Lol

No, I have not made Cloud a pervert! In fact, I think I showed he's a gentlemen because he's not giving into his thoughts of Aeris.


	11. Chapter 10

_**/hides/**_ Please dont kill me! I've been busy with University and replacing my computer I havent had time for many storys. But I'm back on the case now and my other works are in the process of being updated. A couple will even have **_/gasps/ _**double updates! lol. Not this one though. It was a struggle to write this chapter on its own. But oh well it's here anyway. And if I take forever on any of my stories again, feel free to contact me somehow and tell me to get my butt in gear P.

Thanks for being patient with me guys

Beeria

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter Ten 

"What the hell is up with you?"

Cloud jumped and blinked himself back into reality at the sound of the gruff voice. Straightening himself up, he regarded his boss with a sheepish expression and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"I didn't see you there!" he muttered softly. Cid ignored the statement.

"Are you going to answer my bloody question or not?"

"I…I'd rather not," the blonde answered, making a face at the thought. He had been thinking about Aeris…again. And that was something he really wouldn't like to discuss with anyone, especially not his loud-mouthed boss.

"Well I don't like that goofy expression on your face! It scares the crap out of me and its scaring all my customers!"

"Sorry."

Cid shook his head before taking a cigarette out of his packet and pushing it to his lips. Cloud pulled a slightly disgusted expression, which he made sure Cid didn't see by turning to look at the clock. He still had to work for another five hours and with the lack of customers it seemed as though those hours would seem a lot longer. Cid left, muttering something under his breath. Cloud sighed and settled back against the wall. Only four hours and fifty-nine minutes to go he thought.

* * *

"Oh this one would look great on you!" Yuffie said, taking a low cut green top off the rails and tossing it to her friend. Aeris barely caught it and held it up against her body with a dubious expression. Yuffie didn't notice since she was too busy grabbing a random handful of clothing off the sales item shelves. Aeris was beginning to realise that Yuffie just wanted to get the shopping trip over and done with and was grabbing things for the sake of it. 

"Yuffie…I don't think some of these are my style..." she began, holding up a denim mini skirt. "It's more Tifa's really."

Yuffie waved her hand dismissively. "It will suit you; you just need to get the confidence in yourself like Tifa does. It's not the clothes that make her look great it's because she _knows_ the clothes make her look great! Guys dig chicks who have high confidence!"

"I'm not interested in guys Yuffie," the older woman scolded. Yuffie raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Not yet but just you wait. Soon enough, you'll be after them!"

"I'm in a relationship and…"

"No you're not!" Yuffie shouted, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. "Sephiroth is ancient history! Next time you see a cute guy you're getting his number. Or I'm getting it for you!" she ordered before winking playfully and nudging her friend's shoulder. "Now pyjamas…" she muttered, dragging Aeris along with her spare arm, the clothes she had grabbed from earlier bundled under her other one.

She threw a couple of the display nightgowns and pyjamas across her arm and turned to Aeris, thrusting the bundle into the woman's arms. The brunette blinked and opened her mouth to speak but Yuffie narrowed her eyes in warning and with a sigh, Aeris made her way into the changing rooms.

It took hours for her to try everything on and for Yuffie to give her opinion. However, Aeris found it slightly worrying that for each time she put an item back, Yuffie came back with two more. No wonder it was taking forever she thought tiredly. If the assistant hadn't came over and told them that the shop was closing, Aeris was sure Yuffie would have stayed here much longer. And she knew it was only because Cloud was paying for everything.

As they walked to the checkout, she started to imagine Cloud's face when they walked through the door with all the bags. He'd probably have a heart attack on the spot and, after recovering proceed to chase Yuffie down the street. The thought made her smile, which turned into a small giggle. But then she couldn't control it and she burst into hysterical laughter.

Yuffie threw her a worried glance, her eyes wide in surprise. Aeris shook her head and muttered that it wasnt really funny after all before she let out another giggle. Yuffie raised an eyebrow and looked away, deciding that not asking was probably the safer option.

* * *

Cloud was home when they got back and like Aeris predicted, he stared at the pile of shopping bags in horrified disbelief. Yuffie handed him his change of 1 gil and smiled. 

"Thanks for treating her Cloud. You're too kind!" she smirked. Cloud looked between the coin in his hand and the young woman before him before he suddenly lunged for her. Yuffie squeaked and ran out the house with Cloud close behind. Aeris leaned against the doorframe and watched as the pair disappeared into the park, the sound of Yuffie's taunting still clear in the air.

Her eyes drifted to the left, a mixed feeling of sadness and relief coming over her as she spotted her old home. The living room light was on, indicating that Sephiroth was home. She started as she saw the curtains twitch slightly and instinctivly she stepped back into the house, slamming the door shut and pressing her weight against it.

Taking a moment to allow her racing heart to rest, she slowly shook her head. This was ridiculous. She didn't need to be scared anymore. She was here, with Cloud and he would look after her. And Yuffie wasn't far away either. She nodded, reassuring herself. Yes, Cloud and Yuffie would protect her from Sephiroth. She was jerked out of her thoughts when the door suddenly opened, sending her tumbling into a headfirst dive along the carpet.

"I'm sorry Aeris! Are you alright?" Cloud asked, rushing over to her and offering his hand. She took it, giving him a small smile.

"No it's okay. It's my own fault for standing against the door anyway," she assured him. He still looked guilty but decided to let it go. His gaze fell upon the bags beside him before drifting back to her. Aeris gave him a sheepish expression in response, clasping her hands together.

"I tried to tell her I didn't want much!" she began but Cloud cut her off with a shake of his head. A message Aeris understood to mean 'I know, don't worry about it.' She watched as he turned and headed into the kitchen to pour water into the kettle. Sighing, she let her gaze wander over her purchases.

Yes, she concluded, Yuffie had gone a bit too crazy. And there were outfits that Aeris didn't really think she'd ever have the confidence to wear but, it felt wrong not wearing them after all the trouble Yuffie went to picking them out. And of course, the fact it was Cloud's money. The least she could do was wear them. She could probably get away with wearing the less desirable ones just once or twice...

With much difficulty she picked the bags up and stumbled into her room, tossing the shopping onto the bed. Now she had to sort everything out and find a space for all her new belongings. The thought made her sigh with boredom. She grabbed the bag closest to her and tipped it upside down, allowing the contents to spill onto the bed.

She stood silently for a moment before shaking her head and just tipping all the bags out. She had decided that she would put everything into categories first so it would save her repeatedly going to and from the wardrobe.

The task didn't seem as scary this way she concluded as she piled her socks and tights into a drawer at the bottom of the closet before proceeding to place her shoes along the shelves above them. In fact, she was convinced she would be finished in just a couple of moments.

'Then I can have a nice cup of tea,' she thought longingly. By now Cloud would have poured the boiling water into the teapot so, when she finished it would be just right. The idea of a nice seat and a warm drink was very much appreciated after a whole day on her feet.

Aeris placed the last pair of shoes on the shelf and turned back to the bed to decide on what should be moved next. As she did so, she caught sight of something white and sparkly out of the corner of her eye. Frowning, she moved the clothes aside until she came across a white silk skirt. Tilting her head to the side, she carefully picked the garment up and held it at chest level to examine it.

It was roughly knee-length on her, with a wide black belt that was decorated with millions of tiny gems. There were small slits in the sides to allow her legs better movement and as she turned it in her grip, Aeris had to admit that this looked like a promising purchase.

Biting her lip, she looked between the pile of clothes still left and then the skirt. There wouldn't be any harm in changing just now, she supposed. Just to see what it would look like on. If it was terrible she could always change back...

It was clear which side of her mind had won the battle so she quickly pulled off her trousers and slipped the skirt on, clipping the belt once it rested on her waist. She turned to her reflection and gasped.

She looked so different. After a moment of shock, she turned slightly to view all angles. Everything looked so much slimmer. She made a mental note to thank Yuffie for this particular purchase.

But then a thought crossed her mind.

Would Cloud like it? What if he didn't? Would he be angry? Would he shout or even attack her?

She shook her head, her hands digging into her hair. Cloud would never hurt her. Never. But still the thought lingered in the background. Because she had once said the exact same about Sephiroth and look what had happened then...

"This is ridiculous," she muttered.

She took a deep breath and left the room. She could see Cloud at the sink washing some dishes but he hadn't heard her approaching yet. She hovered in the doorway for a few seconds, still frightened that he would turn and hit her like Sephiroth had always done if she had even dared to mention a skirt, let along wear one.

Finally, Cloud seemed to realise that he was being watched and he turned towards her. Aeris watched his jaw dropped slightly as his eyes travelled down her figure and back up again. She frowned slightly, trying to figure out whether his shocked expression could be counted for angry shock or a nice shock at how different she looked.

"Well, do you...like it?" she asked, swallowing nervously as she finished the question. Cloud suddenly seemed to snap out of his daze as he cleared his throat and gave a half-smile.

"Yeah...it's...it's...nice," he said, looking over her once again before he seemed to really registar what she had said. "Hey, you don't need to ask me if I like it or not. I don't chose what you wear!"

Aeris smiled and took a seat at the table. "Thank you Cloud."

Cloud just shrugged before turning back to his task.

'I'm in big trouble,' he thought miserably.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Thank you so much for the reviews guys!

_**Glimmerous: **_Yay an update indeed :) haha yeah Yuffs is a lot of fun!

_**flowerangel050: **_Lol poor Cloud. I just love to torture him :P

_**Foi: **_Yay I'm back! And since it's summer holidays now I have time on my hands :)

_**kyos-girl101: **_Well to be fair it's updated more than most stories…like date with destiny for example. /bangs head against desk/ please don't bring that story up! Lol

_**Rixi-chan**_: Aww thank you :) and you're welcome.

_**Princess of the Knight: **_Haha well updates didn't go to plan in case you couldn't tell lol.

_**SweetestChick: **_thank you

_**trankwility: **_Clerith love for the win! :)

_**kez92p9: **_I adore Yuffie :) And Cloud's fun to write too hehe

_**Simba kid: **_Aww thanks :)

_**xkeeping faythx: **_thank you and sorry the update took so long! Yuffie is just a great character to write though :)

_**Drake Clawfang: **_Thanks for the return :) Well it's Sephiroth. A non-crazy Seph would be like the sky being green :P And I agree. Cloud never could resist Aerith's charms xD

_**pinkpower: **_Well here is the next chapter :)

_**Chapter Eleven**_

"All by myself! Don't wanna be…all by myself!"

Aeris looked up from her cup of tea and met Cloud's eyes. "What is that?" she asked, casting a bemused expression towards the front door. Cloud frowned and craned his neck to look out of the window.

"I don't know but that stray cat has made a run for it."

"There's nothing wrong with my signing!" came an indignant voice. Cloud sighed at the same time Aeris giggled.

"Yuffie," they muttered at the same time.

"Let me in!" the girl whined.

"You have a flat!" Cloud yelled back.

"But my flat doesn't cook meals by itself and since I'm not working tonight I can't steal…I mean buy my tea there!"

Aeris shook her head and turned to Cloud with an amused expression. "You better let her in Cloud. She won't give up." Cloud grumbled slightly and made for the door.

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen!" Yuffie began singing severely out of tune again. "Nobody knows my sorro-oh!" She yelped as Cloud pulled the door back and sent her tumbling into the hallway. She sat up, rubbing her head and glaring at him. "Ow!" she muttered, sticking her tongue out.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were there. Some girl's singing has left me deaf."

"That was so funny, I almost dropped my materia."

Aeris shook her head and stood up to put her cup in the sink but since Cloud hadn't finished all the dishes in there she decided to just do them as well. Yuffie came through a couple of seconds later and wolf-whistled at Aeris.

"Nice skirt Aeris. Whoever picked that out has real style," she commented proudly.

"And someone else's money," Cloud added, appearing behind her. Yuffie sighed but for once, said nothing.

"Will I make spaghetti for dinner?" Aeris asked suddenly, drying her hands on the towel that hung beside the sink. Cloud blinked.

"You're not cooking Aeris," he said gently.

"I don't mind," she began but Cloud shook his head again.

"No it's okay."

"Cloud!" she responded in such a strict tone that Yuffie took a step back but a delighted expression came over her face in that second but it fell when Aeris suddenly dropped her defensive behaviour and muttered an apology. Cloud glanced at Yuffie who gave him a dark stare as she whispered "Sephiroth you moron!"

"Oh," Cloud said more to himself but it still gained Aeris' attention. He regained his composure instantly and cleared his throat. "Aeris don't apologize. If you want to cook then go ahead and cook dinner."

"Yeah, I didn't come here to get a charcoaled meal. I can make that myself!" Yuffie added, replying to Cloud's glare with a cheerful grin. Aeris smiled.

"Okay, spaghetti it is!"

Yuffie grinned and pulled out a chair, sitting with her feet up on the table and hands clasped behind her head. Cloud stared blankly at her.

"Do you mind?" he asked eventually. Yuffie blinked and seemed to be genuinely thinking something. The thought of Yuffie thinking scared Cloud slightly but the fear never settled because Yuffie finally spoke.

"Actually," she replied, deliberately putting emphasis on the word as she reached over and took a chocolate biscuit. "I do mind. It's freezing in here, don't you know how to work a radiator Cloud? I always say – you are what your hairstyle is!" she finished, banging on the table with her fist and shaking her head at the utterly bemused Cloud.

Aeris stopped putting the pasta in the pan long enough to turn and fix Yuffie with a completely confused look but then she thought better of it than to get involved and turned back to the dinner.

"Yuffie," Cloud said. The girl smiled sweetly.

"Yes Cloud?"

"I mean this in the nicest way possible," he continued. "I am going to kill you!" He didn't give her a chance to respond as he lunged for her. Yuffie 'eeped' and pulled back out of his reach but that only resulted in sending the chair toppling backwards, forcing her to backwards roll onto the floor. She kicked the chair out at Cloud and jumped to her feet, charging down the corridor with Cloud at her heels. She turned to run into the bathroom but Cloud caught her by the waist and pulled her back so far that her feet came off the ground. She shrieked so loudly that the blonde was surprised that the windows did not shatter as she kicked out and struggled in his grasp. Her movements caused Cloud to lose his footing and sent them tumbling to the floor with a crash and a flurry of startled yelps. Yuffie rolled over and made to stand but Cloud grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down.

"Stop it!"

They both froze and looked back at Aeris who was standing in the kitchen doorway with a look of absolute terror on her face, tears already tumbling down her cheeks. Cloud let go of Yuffie without even realising it as he continued to stare at Aeris in horror. Yuffie stood up and gave a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine Aeris, see?" She twirled a couple of times and stopped, grinning at the flower girl. "Cloud and I were only playing."

And Cloud finally registered what had happened. Despite the playfulness between them, his and Yuffie's actions had caused Aeris to think of all the things that Sephiroth had done to her. A feeling of guilt washed over him as he stood next to Yuffie and held out his hand to Aeris.

"I'm sorry Aeris," he said gently. "It was just a game." Aeris wiped her eyes slowly and fixed them both with a reproachful look.

"Yes well, maybe you should stick to chess instead!" she suggested, turning back into the kitchen. Yuffie grinned at Cloud.

"Not a bad idea," she said. "Maybe we could make a bet out of it. Would you like me to take more of your money Cloud?"

"Less talking and more walking," he replied, shoving her playfully into the kitchen.

* * *

"Checkmate," Yuffie commented happily, pushing her bishop into position. Cloud, who had been busy watching Aeris out of the corner of his eye suddenly turned and stared at the chessboard. "Hello! Earth to Cloud!" Yuffie said, waving her hand in front of his eyes. He knocked it away and glared at her. She just grinned and held out her hand. Grumbling, Cloud took out his wallet and threw some notes on the table.

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk. Materia here I come!" was all Yuffie said as she grabbed the money and headed for the door. "See you later Aeris."

"Bye Yuffie!" the flower girl responded as she put the dishes away. Yuffie hummed merrily as she went to the door and threw it open but her song was stopped short and a high-pitched squeak escaped her. The scraping of a chair could be heard behind her and she looked back in time to see Cloud stop dead, his face showing nothing but shock. His open mouth uttered one word.

"Tifa?"


	13. Chapter 12

There's really no point in apologising for the late chapter is there? Im sure you all knew I would be ages anyways :P Lol. You may have noticed some of my stories have disappeared. Do not fear, they are on my computer still. I just want to rewrite them and post them up again but I want to finish the ones still on here first. Let's hope you all have a decade to spare :P haha.

Review Replies.

**flowerangel050** - haha oh yes they are! Lol!

**Drake Clawfang** - Yes she is back. Does she think she has a chance? Hmmm...

**pinkpower** - cliffhangers all the way! xD

**Nadiaaa** - next chapter is here, finally, lol.

**LilyMione_chan** - Well cant all be plain sailing for Cloud and Aeris can it? Lol. Yuffie is just such a great character to work with :)

**kyos_girl101** - thank you! :)

**Princess of the Knight** - Aw man I know. Updates never go as planned, something always gets in the way. Grr!

**K-9 Style**- *evil laugh* Oh yes I have a thing for cliffhangers haha

**Lollypop** - oh yes she is ;)

**Wild Fantasy** - I love Cloud and Yuffie's friendship. Oh yes Tifa is back! ;)

**Foi** - I hope you've not died from the cliffhanger! :P

**Ari **- yeah I try my best but with college, friends and family stuff happening, fanfiction takes a backseat priority wise I'm afraid. Sorry.

**Chapter Twelve**

Tifa smiled warmly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Yuffie, Cloud and Aeris in turn. She tapped her foot impatiently and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to invite me in or what? It's freezing out here!" she teased, her eyes locking with Cloud's. Yuffie, her mouth still wide open, turned to Cloud. He just continued to stare for a second before shaking his head and blinking rapidly.

"Um, sure. Come in," he said, the shock still evident in his voice. Yuffie stepped aside and shut the door as Tifa stepped inside and put her suitcase by the coat-rack.

"Well, I've changed my mind. I'm staying after all, cold's bad for me you know," Yuffie announced before walking into the kitchen and pulling up a chair, staring intently at the three people in the corridor. Tifa smiled at Aeris and embraced her in a hug, the two instantly complementing each other's clothes, figures and hair. Cloud stood blankly watching them and turned towards Yuffie, who looked equally disinterested. She had obviously been hoping for drama of some sort between Tifa and Cloud.

"So what's with the party Cloud? Don't tell me things have changed so much that you are becoming socialised," Tifa joked. Cloud smiled faintly and shook his head.

"No. Yuffie just came here to steal my food and Aeris is living here," he replied. Tifa blinked.

"Aeris is living here?" she repeated with a small frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuffie's head suddenly perk up with interest.

"Yeah, she's left Sephiroth because...well, it wasn't working out and she needed somewhere to stay."

"That's putting it mildly!" Yuffie snorted, shrugging as Cloud threw a glare her way.

"So...you two aren't...?" Tifa began, looking between Cloud and Aeris with meaning. Aeris shook her head quickly.

"Oh no! No!" she confirmed with a nervous laugh. Cloud glanced at her and then at Tifa.

"No, we're not."

"There's some spaghetti left over from dinner Tifa, if you want me to heat it up?"

"That would be great Aeris. Thank you," Tifa replied before looking at Cloud. "Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

"Sure," he replied, motioning towards the living room door. Tifa smiled and went inside, putting her handbag down on the sofa and sitting on the arm, looking at Cloud thoughtfully. Cloud shut the door behind him and returned Tifa's gaze. The silence seemed to last forever before Tifa suddenly stood up and moved to sit on the sofa properly.

"Sorry, keep forgetting this isn't my house anymore," she explained with a small laugh. Cloud opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. If Tifa had came back a month ago, he would have instantly said, 'yes it is still your house. Stay here with me.' But now? Now Cloud realised that his feelings for Tifa had changed and become more platonic than romantic and, though in some ways, this was still Tifa's house, he didn't want her to stay forever.

"So what did you need to speak to me about?" he asked, sitting down on the armchair opposite. Tifa watched him sit down, a thoughtful frown appearing on her features before it disappeared and she replied.

"Now I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I came back for a reason," she said, giving a small sigh before locking eyes with him. "I came back for you."

"Tifa...I,"

"But I should have known you wouldn't wait around forever. It was big-headed of me to think so," she continued, obviously not hearing Cloud's interuption. "And you've already moved on anyway."

Cloud blinked in confusion. "I'm not with anyone at the moment. I haven't been with anyone since you."

Tifa smiled slightly and shook her head. "You don't have to be with someone to move on Cloud. Liking someone is a start." She gave Cloud a knowing look when he continued to stare at her blankly. "Aeris," she elaborated.

"What about her?"

"You like her," she stated simply. "I can see it in your eyes. Trust me, I know that look." Cloud fell silent just as Aeris came in with Tifa's dinner. She placed it on the coffee table, followed by the cutlery. Tifa smiled warmly and thanked her before Aerith stated that Yuffie had left and that she was tired and going to bed. Cloud frowned slightly, noticing she hadn't looked at either of them when speaking but he just put it down to tiredness.

"I don't," he started stubbornly but stopped when he saw Tifa frown and purse her lips in disapproval. He sighed. "It's not that simple."

"How? She's single now right?" Tifa replied as she began eating her food.

"Yeah but...you don't understand!" he said. "She won't want....she'll think..." Tifa stared in bewilderment, her fork halfway to her mouth.

"Cloud," she said softly, placing the fork down and looking at him. "What exactly happened between Aeris and Sephiroth?" He met her gaze with sadness in his eyes.

"He was beating her. He almost killed her. If I hadn't found her..." he trailed off, his eyes going wide as he thought about what the consequences could have been. Tifa sat in shock, a long uncomfortable silence passing between them. Tifa started eating again, a thoughtful look on her face as she stole an occasional glance towards Cloud. When she finished, she sighed gently.

"Cloud, do you want to be with her?"

"I'm attracted to her," he answered honestly, chewing his thumb thoughtfully. Tifa held his gaze.

"That wasn't the question."

"Yes."

Tifa nodded, a smile spreading across her face. Cloud knew that the answer must have broken her heart but Tifa managed to hide it quite well as she flicked the hair out of her eyes and replied. "Then go and get her."

"Tifa, I just said..."

"She needs to trust someone Cloud," his friend interrupted gently. "I know you won't let her down. Why should you wait for some other guy to come and fix her when you could do it? That was always your weakness Cloud. No matter how much you wanted something, you always needed someone to push you to get it."

"She won't want a relationship right now."

"Maybe not," Tifa agreed with a shrug. "But it's worth a shot. And you could just explain that you won't push her and she can come to you when she's ready."

"Ok," he sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair. But a smile was appearing on his features as he met her eyes again. "Thanks, Tifa. You're sure you're okay with this?"

"Don't worry about me!" she answered, waving her hand and returning his smile but it faded slightly. "Cloud, I was wondering if I could stay here for a while? I won't stay long, I promise! Just until I get a job and find a place of my own!"

"Of course you can. Half your stuff is still here anyway," he chuckled. "But won't it be awkward...with me and Aeris...?"

"As long as you don't go at it on the kitchen table I think I can handle it," she replied with a wink. Cloud laughed with a shake of his head.

"The sofa ok then?" he asked. Tifa nodded. "I'll go and get some blankets then," he added, leaving the room. He walked past Aeris' room and noticed the light was on. He knocked gently but there was no reply.

"Aeris? You awake?" he asked gently, nudging the door open. He frowned as his eyes rested on a lump buried beneath the blankets, a mass of brown hair telling him that it was Aeris. For a moment, he thought she had just fallen asleep with the bedside light on and moved to switch it off. However, as he moved around to the side of the bed, his eyes met hers. And to his astonishment, she flinched and looked away.

"Aeris what's wrong?" he whispered, kneeling beside her.

"I can't...I'm sorry," she replied, her breath hitching slightly. "I'll go to my mother's tomorrow." She closed her eyes and Cloud's brow furrowed.

"Why?"

"I heard you and Tifa, just before I came in," she said, her eyes still closed. Cloud swallowed and gently reached for her hand. She opened her eyes at the touch, her gaze meeting his. He smiled softly.

"Ok, well, in that case I may as well just say it. I want to be with you," he stated. She opened her mouth but Cloud continued before she could speak. "But I know you're not ready for a relationship yet and you need to trust me. So, I'll wait for you, as long as it takes. Just stay here, you're safe with me."

"You should have been a bodyguard, you know that?" Aeris answered with a smile. "I'll stay. As long as you promise not to force me into anything."

"I promise," he replied instantly, brushing a stray hair out of her face. "Goodnight." He stood and flicked off her light. As he stepped out of the room, he heard her whisper her own goodnight. He smiled again before going to get blankets for Tifa.

* * *


End file.
